M-I-S-S-I-O-N-R-E-S-C-U-E
by Gingerfloss
Summary: Pepper Potts has lost everything, her memories shattered and her life now powered by reactor technology. But she's lost something else, something she'd forgotten was precious to her, now she must untangle the web of lies and deceptions to rescue him before its to late. But luckily, he left her with some protection of her own.
1. Prelude

**This started out as a drabble on my roleplay tumblr account rescuedinredandgold, and seems to have grown from there. This is just a warning for feels, comic universe plotlines and what could possibly be classed as spoilers if you don't already know about the rescue story in the Invincible Iron Man comics. Reviews and likes are welcome as always, and this is unbeta again!**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy.**

**Gingerfloss~ x**

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_**Prelude**_

_"Firefighters on the scene are reporting that the stories are true, Virginia Potts, CEO of Stark Industries is trapped in the Hotel. There is no report her condition or if she has survived the accident, We'll be relaying the information as soon as we get it…"_

Pain.

Its the last and first thing she can remember about anything, anything at all, a burning, agonizing pain that was weighing down on her as if it was crushing her into the ground. But the headache was worse, she couldn't

Reme-

Rememb-

Remember…

Remember what? What was she supposed to remember? There was nothing, nothing at all in head except an insistence that she was in pain.

She was sure that she was a woman, that was one thing that she had to keep forcing herself to think as her gaze ran around the room, taking in the white walls and gentle beeping sound. This is a Hospital, her head informed her, seemingly sure of that at least. Concentrating hard, the ginger woman sat up, gaze fixed on the opposite wall.

_"We have just revived word that they have found a woman's body….no, i can officially confirm that they have found the body of Pepper Potts…"_

Only then did she realise that something was very wrong. Her chest hurt, aching as if someone had punched her hard just between her breasts. Grumbling, she patted it, shocked to be met with cold, hard metal.

But she was a person, her mind insisted, a fleshy, bloody, boned human. What was that? She wasn't a robot was she? Looking around in panic she found what she needed, a mirror hung over the small sink in the corner. Somehow, knew to walk over to it and there was a another woman.

_"…She's still breathing! Medication confirms that she is in a critical condition after head trauma and internal bleeding… So far there has still been no sign of the Avengers explanation for the attack.."_

Mid-thirties, ginger, bruised and patched up with plasters and tape, with a light burred in her chest.

She looked like she was in pain. Gently, curiously, she to touch her, words caught in her throat.

But the woman moved too, perfectly in time with her as she reached over to touch her. Only to be solid glass, her reflections hand pressed flat against the mirror. There was no mistaking it, that woman was her.

But who was she?

The panic from moments ago swelled inside her without her realizing as she looked around frantically for a sigh, an explanation, something. Grabbing the medical notes from the end bed she tore through them, desperate for something as her legs gave out, landing her om at the foot of the bed, clutching the only words in this prison.

How she could read them she didn't know, but they still didn't provide what she desperately needed to know…

…Where was she. Why was she here.

And what was her name?


	2. Day 1

**_Day 1_**

It had been a few weeks since she'd left the hospital, armed with medication and the watchful eyes of her doctors. One of the women she worked with, her name was Kimberly or something, had taken her up to her offices in stark tower on the day she'd decided to visit in the hope of helping her remember a little bit more. Not that it had actually worked. the moment the woman had excused herself Pepper had started to cry again. it seemed to be the only thing that she had any idea how to do.

Pressing her forehead against the wall she rested there, her palm flat against the wall either side of her head, trying to calm herself down. The was nothing she could do, even doctor strange had told her there was no way he could just magic back her memories. Biting her lip she closed her eyes, whispering to herself.

"Help me..." Pepper muttered to the air around her.

"Password detected." JARVIS's voice came ringing out of nowhere, She'd insisted that the system was muted so that she wouldn't have to attempt to answer a million security questions and queries she had no answer for. The sound made her jump, almost fall backwards as the wall moved, sliding upwards without a sound.

Pepper knew exactly who had done this, and was internally making plans to kill him for the shock of it the next time she saw him. The fake wall had given way to a workshop.

Without really thinking about it she headed inside, her ability to worry about just about everything seemed to have disappeared. The room was a lot cleaner than the stark labs normally where, and full of books and what seemed to be brand new equipment. The only thing that didn't seem new was the container in one corner of the room, it was taller and wider than she was. Wondering over Pepper examined it curiously, noticing the message taped to the front of it.

**_"Access Code 737283"_**

She read the message aloud despite herself, pulling it off to look it over. He words suddenly seemed to have triggered something else, as one of the screens in the wall behind her suddenly switched on, full of static blur for a few seconds until a familiar face was plastered across it.

It was Tony Stark in all his glory, grinning at her in the same way he did in very single photograph she was given.

"You probably want to kill me right now for this, don't you Pep?" He asked, expression unchanged: "But if you're seeing this, either you've already managed it or something gone really badly wrong."

She was still in shock as she collapsed backwards to sit on one of the work benches, gazing up at the screen and listening to him.

"I'm still certain you're not exactly thrilled with me right now no matter whats happened...because you should probably be blaming me for the reactor i put inside you despite what everyone told me to do." Tony paused, gazing out of the wall at her: "It was my fault you where hurt." He told her, there was no argument in his words, as if he'd decided to take on the burden of what had happened to her without thinking about it: "I should never have dragged you along to that gala and upset you.. It's karma i suppose...but if you're watching this, it means you're still alive, and my science actually worked."

The image paused, taking a deep breath before he spoke again: "I'm guessing they haven't told you, but you where on life support for almost six months, and for some reason they told me to decide what to do with your life. I know we broke up... and i know you told me you didn't love me and you didn't want me in your life any more than i had to be in it,...but i couldn't let you go Pepper..."

He paused again, and she couldn't help but notice the change in expression, as if he was having another emotion than smug: "You're allowed to hate me for it, I know you never approved of mixing humans with science after what kept happening to me but i had to bring you back. Someone has to run my company." He joked, smiling again: "But if you've found this lab then i'm guessing somethings going on, sorry for hiding it in your office but it was the only place i thought you wouldn't look... anyway, this is all for you. Because I'm guessing i'm not around and I don't trust the avengers as much as i trust myself. There's all my research, instructions for just about everything i think you'll need, and some stuff i was working on in her for you to use, I don't want it falling into the wrong hands. Oh, and i put the bots up here to help you out, I swear they can be occasionally useful as paperweights and doorstops."

Tony paused again, looking like he was preparing himself for something: "The thing you found the password for this video on is probably the most important, and you can't tell anyone you have it...It's illegal. Whilst you where hurt the government came after me, and seized all my research and the armour i was working on, apparently its against the law and encourages super villians or some crap. You would probably have understood what they where on about better than i did... and you would probably have been able to stop them from taking it. But anyway, she's for you, to keep you safe so you don't get hurt , and all the music i could steal off your iTunes is installed already to teach you how to use it, just be careful. And don't get yourself arrested. Or try and join the Avengers. Or try to find me."

Pepper was surprised to see how serious he suddenly seemed about it, she'd had lectures from him about looking after herself before, she could vaguely remember him being worried about how he never saw her eat anything other than leaves. Tony actually looked as if he meant the warning to her.

"Virginia, Whatever happened to me isn't worth you risking your life for, not that i really think you will. I remember every word of what you told me before you left.." She was really starting to wish she knew what he was talking about: "Just... make sure you look after yourself.,. and only use the armour if you have to." She could tell he was starting to run out of thing to say to her, the grin was plastered back on his face as he spoke for what she hoped would be the last time: "Anyway... I'm guessing I'd better go, i've got avenging to do. See you son, Pepper."

And with that he walked off the screen, leaving her with a view of the inside of his lab, one of the robots wheeling its way slowly across the background with a broom. She was on the verge of attempting to find a way to turn it off when he suddenly reappeared, closer to the camera than he had been before: "By the way, Pepper, I'm sorry i was such an ass, and i'm sorry you left.. i guess you don't really know what you've got till it almost ends up dead...that engagement ring you hated is in the drawer of your office desk... I want you to keep it if you don't seem me again...It's probably the only thing i've ever seen that was almost as beautiful as you are."

His words brought tears to her eyes, the same way then seemed to have been bringing them to her own as he'd turned the camera off, refilling the screen with static. She could barley remember him, and she barley knew anything about him anymore, but he loved her. Or at least loved who she'd been before she'd lost everything. Part of her desperately wanted to be angry with him, wanted to keep hating him for the technology that he'd forced inside of her...but he'd done it to save her.

She would have probably sat and cried for hours if it hadn't been for a sudden, soft noise beside her. Dum.E had woken up and come rolling out of the corner he'd been asleep in, the other two bots not far behind, making the safe, soft 'doot' noise he held up a tissue to her, robotic arm wafting a little in offering to her.

She took it, looking between the three of them, it was if they knew something was wrong: "You don't know where he is do you?" She asked them, reasonably certain that they had no idea what she was on about. The three bots made the same noise at worse, almost as if they where saying no to her. She bit her lip as she dabbed at her eyes, still looking at them: "I'm going to find him."


End file.
